Laramie Mountains
Laramie Mountains | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Peak | South Bald Mountain |
Elevation | 11,007 ft (3,355 m) |
Listing | Mountain ranges of Colorado |
Geography | |
Country | United States |
States | Wyoming and Colorado |
Parent range | Rocky Mountains |
The Laramie Mountains are a range of moderately high peaks on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S states of Wyoming and Colorado. The range is the northernmost extension of the line of the ranges along the eastern side of the Rockies, and in particular of the higher peaks of the Front Range directly to the south. North of the range, the gap between the Laramie range and the Bighorn Mountains provided the route for historical trails, such as the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the Pony Express.
The Laramie Mountains begin in northern Colorado and extend discontinuously into southeastern Wyoming between Cheyenne and Laramie and northward to Casper. (By some definitions the Laramies are only in Wyoming.) They are named after the Laramie River, which cuts through the range from southwest to northeast and joins the North Platte River east of the range in eastern Wyoming. The mountains in turn give their name to the Laramide orogeny, the uplift of the North American Plate approximately 70 million years ago that created the present Rocky Mountains.
The highest portions of the Laramie mountains are mostly in public ownership, forming part of the
Geography
The mountains consist of a series of
Three principal
The Laramie Mountains are bisected by the
The range is prominently visible from Interstate 25 between Casper and Cheyenne. Interstate 80 and the Union Pacific Railroad cross the range between Cheyenne and Laramie on an outlying ramp of the High Plains called the "Gangplank".41°05′56″N 105°06′46″W / 41.09889°N 105.11278°W
See also
- Geography of Wyoming
- Laramide Belt — of the North American Cordillera.
References
- ^ Carpenter, J. R. 1956. An Ecological Glossary. Hafner, NY.
Further reading
- Blackstone, D. L. 1971. Traveler's guide to the geology of Wyoming. Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Wyoming. 55:1-90.
- Cary, M., 1917. Life zone investigations in Wyoming. Bulletin USDA Biological Survey. 42: 1-95.
- Dunbar, C. O. 1960. Historical Geology. J. Wiley & Sons, NY. 2nd Ed., fig. 308.
- Hardesty, Richard L. and Groothuis, Dennis R. Butterflies of the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera.) The introduction provides additional information on the Laramie Mountains. A PDF version of this work may be downloaded at Butterflies of the Laramie Mountains, Wyoming (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera.).
- Marshall, K. & Colbert, E. H. 1965. Stratigraphy and Life History. J. Wiley & Sons, NY.
- Porter, C. L. 1962. A flora of Wyoming. Part I. Bulletin of the University of Wyoming Agricultural Experimental Station. 402.
External links
- "Laramie Mountains". Peakbagger.com.